1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to semiconductor processing, and more particularly to apparatus and methods of remotely configuring a testing computer system BIOS.
2. Description of the Related Art
Newly manufactured integrated circuits typically undergo a battery of tests before shipment to computer and other electronics manufacturers or suppliers. One such test consists of inserting the integrated circuit into a test system and running a so-called system level test. For processors, such as microprocessors, a system level test usually involves inserting the microprocessor into a testing computer system, booting and perhaps running some testing software. The chip to be tested is referred to as a “device under test” or DUT.
A typical conventional testing computer system consists of a microcomputer that includes a socket for the microprocessor to be tested, associated memory and control logic (typically on a system board) and a number of peripheral devices that provide input and/or output for the system. The testing computer system typically includes a set of built-in software routines called the basic input/output system (BIOS). The BIOS is a software interface between the system hardware and the operating system software. The BIOS is often referred to as firmware because it has qualities of both software and hardware. Like software, the BIOS is a set of instructions to the computer's microprocessor, or the computer's DUT for a testing computer. Like hardware, the BIOS is commonly coded onto a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a PROM (Programmable ROM) such as an EPROM (Erasable PROM), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), a flash RAM (Random Access Memory) or any other type of memory appropriate for storing BIOS. The BIOS controls several important functions for the testing computer system. For instance, the BIOS performs various functions at power up, including testing memory, inventorying the system, and testing the system.
For a conventional testing computer, the BIOS will be programmed with a default set of configuration settings that are suitable for a particular DUT. For example, a testing computer set up to test a microprocessor ultimately destined for a server, will have BIOS configuration settings appropriate for a server platform microprocessor. Such settings might include particular bus speeds and memory settings. A microprocessor intended for a different platform, such as a mobile device, will sometimes require a different set of BIOS configuration settings.
In conventional testing computer systems, the BIOS is flashed manually and locally for a given computer with some default BIOS configuration settings. Several problems can arise. If a different type of chip requires testing, the BIOS may need alteration to match the new chip's requirements. This usually requires the BIOS to be manually reconfigured prior to boot up with different settings suitable for the new chip. This process can be time consuming for the operator. If there are multiple testing computer systems, there is the possibility that some of the computers have been flashed with BIOS configuration settings that match a particular DUT while others have been flashed with BIOS configuration settings that match another type of DUT. If the operators are unaware of the mixed coding of the various testing computers, the test results for a given lot of DUT's may produce ambiguous results or some DUT's may not undergo correct testing.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or reducing the effects of one or more of the foregoing disadvantages.